World Bank Urges Adoption of AI in Developing Countries

The average growth rate of developing countries' economies has fallen to its lowest level in the past 30 years, prompting calls to utilize artificial intelligence (AI) as a means to enhance productivity. In its "World Development Report 2026: The Promise of Artificial Intelligence," the World Bank Group stated that if developing countries can bridge gaps in electricity, internet access, technological capabilities, and institutional quality, AI could accelerate achievements that would otherwise take a century within the next decade. The report proposes a phased approach of "adoption, adaptation, and advancement," recommending the introduction of existing AI tools, adjustments to fit local conditions, and the gradual accumulation of advanced development capabilities over the long term. Areas for AI application include medical diagnostics, agricultural decision-making, education, tax collection, social security, and disaster response. The proportion of jobs at risk of generative AI automation in low- and middle-income countries is 4.5%, lower than the 14.2% in high-income countries. Conversely, the share of jobs that could benefit from increased productivity through AI is reported at 16.2% for developing countries and 18.7% for high-income countries. Indermit Gill, the World Bank Group's Chief Economist, emphasized that AI has thrown a lifeline to developing countries, explaining that low-cost AI tools tailored to local conditions could provide services to more people. However, the report also warns that the adoption of AI does not automatically reduce growth disparities and that, in the absence of stable electricity, internet, data, skilled personnel, and institutional trust, AI could exacerbate gaps between countries.